Gem review - very good and really bad!

[98Charlie]

98Charlie . . . I don't think the OP missed them, but they all seemed to be followed up with what could be considered "cross" remarks. (save for one bolded below). The gentleman listed what he thought were good and bad highlights of HIS cruise. I have said it before, but will repeat it here . . . . I can't imagine why anybody would want to come on these boards and say anything negative . . . they usually come to grief from the same set of folks who "dont like to hear any negatives about their favourite cruise line"

 

 

 

but I do question a couple of things

 

Appreciate the review.

Anyone who travels Europe July & August must know this is when the Europeans have their vacation as well. I can imagine there were many Spainards sailing out of Spain..

 

but your negatives are somewhat redundant.....several different ways to complain about the pool

 

Petty much just chopped away at the OP's whole post.

 

and he/she truly did without countering point by point.

 

And even yourself: # Lot's of children on a summer cruise.

# Lot's of Spanish speaking people on a cruise that embarks in Spain.

# Multi-language announcements on a European cruise. (Maybe they should have had them only in the predominate language of the cruise which might have been Spanish

No problem. And I do realize that most of the posters took umbrage at some of OP's comments.

 

But, OP was indicating that "few" acknowledged the good points that he laid out in balance with the bad. In the same respect, the responses were balanced also which OP seemed to be ignoring.

 

Just my 2¢

 

Charlie

[ravjack]

I am new to posting on these boards. But I was on this cruise only last week.

 

I fully agree with the OP. He just phrased things wrong. Or more to the point he phrased them with humor in mind. Americans dont get humor unless its jumps up and bites them in the ass :eek:

 

Now that I've alienated half of the readership of this site let me continue...

 

The Ship was nothing short of stunning in its presentation and layout (minus the big screen which was God awful).

 

The childrens services were AMAZING but simply were not able to cater for so many of the children at once. And this was largley due to a huge imbalance in age groups. Something as simple as only allowing for X amount of age group with a buffer of Y to adjust would solve this. Not rocket science. Just bad planning.

 

Staff simply did not CARE about their roles onboard. I suspect they are highly under paid or morale was low or whatever. Bottom line was customer service really was awful by enlarge. Some were openly hostile, other groups were jouvinile and just s******ed at passengers. This isn't an exageration, I was there those commenting and were not present really cannot challange this fact.

 

Kids were indeed running around unsupervised. Can you imagine the same scenario on MSC, P&O or any other cruiseline for that matter? It just would not happen without a ship-wide intercom demanding the parents collect the children and the parents doing the walk of shame :D

 

The cruise it self was incredibly money grabbing. To the point of it being ludicrous. Some examples. Water being $4 dollars. Beer being $4. Selling Bingo tickets pre-show in a cheesy touting manner. The constant spam of "special" offers, which were just a rip off start to finish. Any Spa service had you at the butt end of a barage of sales spam blasted at you. I had a shave and beard trim. I thought it'd be relaxing.. oh how wrong was I. In the end I agreed with the girl that I'd give her $20 tip if she just stopped trying to sell me her "wares". Strangley enough the shave was supposed to last 45mins .. it lasted 20mins or just over and I could not get out of there fast enough :p

 

My solution to all these niggly things are .. charge a bit more for the ticket and allow people to RELAX and enjoy their holiday. The point of cruises is after all to relax, its plus points have always been you can budget better for what you will spend too. All the "added" extras were simply too much.

 

I may be painting a bleak picture here, I dont mean it to be entirley negative. some good points were Main meals at the pay restaurants were exceptional in some locations (Cagney's). The cabin crew were nice enough and shows were mostly great. Second City is a must see.

 

But the negative points are why we write these reviews, if they are not aired.. they wont be solved. It's ok to be a "fanboy" / supporter of a cruise line. It's a little strange, yes. But it's fine. But be objective here, If you harass your reviewers.. they wont come back and give you great information.

 

I for one read everything I could before I went on the cruise about the ship / line and had I read the staff was nearly as rude as they are, I might not have gone. Id have missed out on a great cruise though because the kids facilities/staff are wonderful.

 

But for people without kids I could not see why you would want to be abused for no advantage! (unless your into that sort of thing :confused:)

 

Ps. Spelling and grammer mistakes are yours to keep. See. I did bring you a present back from the trip.

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

Greetings from Malta, live from the Gem. We are having a marvelous time this week. The ship is beautiful -- just ask any questions and I will be glad to answer.

 

Most of what the OP says is correct, in my opinion. However, that just brings us to what the reality of mass market cruising is nowadays. On every mass market ship (NCL, RCCL, Princess, Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, etc.) during peak travel season, you find:

 

Ship full to the brim -- no room at the pool;

Lots of children;

Lots of passengers residents of the embarkation port;

Lots of lines;

Crowds everywhere;

Announcements in predominant language of passengers (right now there are 1,500 Spaniards aboard)

Push to sell drinks and other items on board due to low base fare

 

The above is not unique to NCL -- it is the same on every line aimed at the mass market. In order to have a different experience, it is necessary to sail Silversea, Crystal, Seabourn, Regent, or NCL Garden Villa.

 

Perhaps the cruise lines are at fault. They still promote their cruises as quiet, romantic, luxury experiences, when the true comparison should probably be an all-inclusive holiday at a mid-range hotel in the Canaries, Palma, Cancun or the Dominican Republic.

 

There are passengers onboard who paid 300 euros per person for their cruise. For that kind of money, it is a marvelous vacation.

 

For the passengers who paid $10,000 per person for the Garden Villas, it is also a marvelous vacation from a very different perspective of accommodations and service.

 

On the Gem (and comparable ships) there is something for everyone and at every price range.

 

Again, please feel free to ask any questions about the Gem and I will answer them from onboard.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[catharina]

Hi Danceman!

 

Thanks for your review. I do appreciate the whole thing of it. Reading all the reviews, good, bad and ugly, makes me prepare well for my cruise. Then I will KNOW what to expect and hopefully have a positive experience.

 

I am VERY curious with your rap-sheet (is that correctly spelled, sorry!) of many cruises: What is your ultimate favourite line/ship and why??

 

 

GUNTER and UTA live from the Gem. Have a wonderful day in malta! And the rest of your cruise. Please bring us a detailed review with everything you find positive and negative. we all learn from it. Would like to know what YOU think about the extra costs: did you expect this or is it really outrageous?

 

love from Holland

Carina

[CC Help Michell]

"Kids were indeed running around unsupervised. Can you imagine the same scenario on MSC, P&O or any other cruiseline for that matter? It just would not happen without a ship-wide intercom demanding the parents collect the children and the parents doing the walk of shame :D"

 

I would pay extra for my cruise fare to see that happen. But it almost never does, on any mass market line. Go check every message board for the mass market lines here at CC -- it's a universal complaint. The Eurodam's debut cruise was marked by herds of unsupervised children running amok -- nothing was done. Occasionally on various boards you will read about one family or group of kids that was so over the top the captain put them off the ship. But it doesn't happen often.

 

To the OP, I appreciated the time you took to write your review. I tend to agree that many of the negatives you listed are less a criticism of NCL in particular, and more a comment about sailing on any cruiseline (especially one with family-friendly fares) during holiday periods, so perhaps it's not surprising that folks would point out that at least some of your comments aren't the "really bad" about the Gem as much as they are the "really bad" about sailing a jam-packed ship of any line.

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

I don't find the prices outrageous. $4.00 for a beer may sound like a lot in dollars -- in euros it's not so bad. When you go out on a Saturday night to a nice bar or other venue, what do you expect to pay?

 

There are things I find an excellent value. For example, a bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne costs $66 dollars on board. That comes to about 40 euros. Considering that the same champagne costs 30 euros in a local supermarket here, I don't find a 10 euro mark-up to be outrageous at all. Most decent restaurants worldwide mark-up their wines and champagnes about four to five times supermarket cost.

 

I can't comment on the $4.00 bottle of water because in our room category we are not paying for those items.

 

If you come on with the attitude that you've already paid your fare and you should be able to eat and drink for free you probably won't have a good time. If you come on with the attitude that you've paid a low fare and that certain things onboard cost more money (which you can choose whether to partake or forego) you will have a good time.

 

For example, we really like not being confined to one huge dining room set up for 2,000 people and, instead, to be able to eat in a different venue and different style food every night, even if it costs $10 - $25 per person surcharge.

 

We find that there is something for everyone aboard this ship, and that is why we like it.

 

Leaving Malta in two hours .......

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[LegalEagle2012]

I. too, was on the Gem last week with my family - hubby, 15 and 9 year old daughters and we had a great time!

 

Having cruised with RCI and Carnival in the past I was curious to see how NCL measured up! I feel the ship's facilities and layout to be equal, if not superior, to that of RCI - I will not discuss our Carnival experience other than to say that it was one that we would not care to repeat again!!

 

My husband felt that the lack of a central atrium on the ship meant that there was no focal point. I did not find this a problem and thought that the many communal areas meant that passengers were more well spaced around the ship.

 

I would not have classed my cruise as a "Budget" one at all - but then I did book through a UK agent and had air fares included too. We were in a Mini Suite on Deck 11 - but I guess you get what you pay for? Please feel free to tell me where you get these fantastic budget rates from - I intend to do more NCL cruising and want the best price. Ohh and we had great Cabin Stewards too.

 

My youngest went to the Kids Club once and was not too fussed about it. She said that there were too many in the 6 - 9 age group and that there were only a couple of English speaking children in the group. But, with this cruise being so port intensive she was not too bothered. She loved the Kids Cafe idea too. My eldest now feels too old to do the organised thing but fully appreciated her free Teen Passport for drinks.

 

We ate at Grand Pacific, Cagneys, Magenta, Tequila, Garden Cafe, Great Outdoors and Le Bisto and loved the lot. The steak in Le Bisto was truly one of the best I have ever had. Felt the food overall to be on par with RCI and the buffet to be superior in choice and quality - but the layout of the Garden Cafe was not condusive to the numbers of passengers on the ship who do not understand the etiquiette of waiting in line!!!!

 

Our CC Meet and Greet on the sea day went off well with around 18 attending. We were met with a light refreshment set up and also had several of the ships officers visit with us. They said that they do spend time reading these boards and value and try to act upon the comments posted on them too.

 

Prem - the Hotel Director has to be thanked for the marvellous job he did for us in arranging our little CCCClub meal - more of that to follow in Kgs's review when she returns home!!!!

 

Thanks to all who attended the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet and for those that took part in the gift exchange which went well.

 

Whenever I went past the adult pool or hot tubs I saw no children in them - perhaps I was just lucky. I did not use the pools but purchased the spa pass and got my money's worth out of it. I felt that the Thermal Suite area was one of the best I have seen at sea and on three of my visits I was the only one in the suite and the luxury of having the area all to myself was fab!! Having cruised several times before I am well aware of the hard sell that Steiner (the spa company on most cruise lines) inflict on those having treatments and I now state at the start of a treatment that I do not want to purchase any of the products - I am from the UK and can get them at half the price at home!! This usually does the trick!

 

I too can only cruise in school holidays as I work in education and have two school age children of my own. I also "Google" to check out other nations school holiday dates so I know what to expect. With the cruise departing from Barcelona it has to be expected that there would have been a large number of Spanish children on board. It was a shame that supervision of them overall was sorely lacking by their parents.

 

The only niggle that we had was concerning the gym. Notices allowed children from 13 - 16 years access if accompanied by an adult. My 15 year old went in many times with her father and they were both horrified to see 7 - 10 year old children playing with the free weights totally unsupervised. Those underage but with parents were not being supervised by parents either. Not only was this a danger to the children but to any other person who was legitimately wishing to use the gym. The children were actively breaking the equipment or putting in back incorrectly and this could have caused serious injury to gym users with all the consequences attached.

 

My husband searched in vain for someone from the gym to mention this too - but no one was around!!

 

I found, contrary to some posters experiences, that the customer service on board was very good. From waiters and waitresses to cabin staff to officers - all offered a greeting or a smile. A million miles away from our Carnival experience and, again, comparable with RCI.

 

The shows got progressively better as the week went on - we loved Bob Trunell and Second City (went to all three of their activities). My daughter is a dancer and thought the production shows to be slightly lower in standard that those on RCI - although she loved the costumes and took many notes!!

 

Star Gazing with Andrea the Cruise Director was fun - the sky remained clear for us to see him pointing out constellations with his lazer pointer. He also conducted a few seminars on the trip.

 

We did our own trips and excursions and generally took things easy.

 

We also appreciated the reduced service charge for children but did hear of people taking the whole of the service charge off of their bill - I assume they wanted to tip individually?

 

I would not hesitate to book another NCL trip today - shame I did not take advantage of the Future Cruiise discount!! My whole family had a great time and would do it all again in a moment!!

 

Thanks to the crew and staff of the Norwegian Gem - we will be back to see you again just a soon as we have saved enough money.

[98Charlie]

"Kids were indeed running around unsupervised. Can you imagine the same scenario on MSC, P&O or any other cruiseline for that matter? It just would not happen without a ship-wide intercom demanding the parents collect the children and the parents doing the walk of shame :D"

 

I would pay extra for my cruise fare to see that happen. But it almost never does, on any mass market line. Go check every message board for the mass market lines here at CC -- it's a universal complaint. The Eurodam's debut cruise was marked by herds of unsupervised children running amok -- nothing was done. Occasionally on various boards you will read about one family or group of kids that was so over the top the captain put them off the ship. But it doesn't happen often.

 

To the OP, I appreciated the time you took to write your review. I tend to agree that many of the negatives you listed are less a criticism of NCL in particular, and more a comment about sailing on any cruiseline (especially one with family-friendly fares) during holiday periods, so perhaps it's not surprising that folks would point out that at least some of your comments aren't the "really bad" about the Gem as much as they are the "really bad" about sailing a jam-packed ship of any line.

Michelle,

 

That is an excellent observation.

 

Charlie

[ohioNCLcruiser]

for the record I have had MANY more problems with immature adults on the ship then kids!

[newmexicoNita]

I am new to posting on these boards. But I was on this cruise only last week.

 

I fully agree with the OP. He just phrased things wrong. Or more to the point he phrased them with humor in mind. Americans dont get humor unless its jumps up and bites them in the ass :eek:

 

Now that I've alienated half of the readership of this site let me continue...

 

The Ship was nothing short of stunning in its presentation and layout (minus the big screen which was God awful).

 

The childrens services were AMAZING but simply were not able to cater for so many of the children at once. And this was largley due to a huge imbalance in age groups. Something as simple as only allowing for X amount of age group with a buffer of Y to adjust would solve this. Not rocket science. Just bad planning.

 

Staff simply did not CARE about their roles onboard. I suspect they are highly under paid or morale was low or whatever. Bottom line was customer service really was awful by enlarge. Some were openly hostile, other groups were jouvinile and just s******ed at passengers. This isn't an exageration, I was there those commenting and were not present really cannot challange this fact.

 

Kids were indeed running around unsupervised. Can you imagine the same scenario on MSC, P&O or any other cruiseline for that matter? It just would not happen without a ship-wide intercom demanding the parents collect the children and the parents doing the walk of shame :D

 

The cruise it self was incredibly money grabbing. To the point of it being ludicrous. Some examples. Water being $4 dollars. Beer being $4. Selling Bingo tickets pre-show in a cheesy touting manner. The constant spam of "special" offers, which were just a rip off start to finish. Any Spa service had you at the butt end of a barage of sales spam blasted at you. I had a shave and beard trim. I thought it'd be relaxing.. oh how wrong was I. In the end I agreed with the girl that I'd give her $20 tip if she just stopped trying to sell me her "wares". Strangley enough the shave was supposed to last 45mins .. it lasted 20mins or just over and I could not get out of there fast enough :p

 

My solution to all these niggly things are .. charge a bit more for the ticket and allow people to RELAX and enjoy their holiday. The point of cruises is after all to relax, its plus points have always been you can budget better for what you will spend too. All the "added" extras were simply too much.

 

I may be painting a bleak picture here, I dont mean it to be entirley negative. some good points were Main meals at the pay restaurants were exceptional in some locations (Cagney's). The cabin crew were nice enough and shows were mostly great. Second City is a must see.

 

But the negative points are why we write these reviews, if they are not aired.. they wont be solved. It's ok to be a "fanboy" / supporter of a cruise line. It's a little strange, yes. But it's fine. But be objective here, If you harass your reviewers.. they wont come back and give you great information.

 

I for one read everything I could before I went on the cruise about the ship / line and had I read the staff was nearly as rude as they are, I might not have gone. Id have missed out on a great cruise though because the kids facilities/staff are wonderful.

 

But for people without kids I could not see why you would want to be abused for no advantage! (unless your into that sort of thing :confused:)

 

Ps. Spelling and grammer mistakes are yours to keep. See. I did bring you a present back from the trip.

I don't think the OP meant anything in a humoreous say, we Americans do get humor. As for $4 for water, you haven't been many places I would gather, certainly in the USA. Water at our sporting events is $5 per bottle, water on most ships $4 to $5 and in hotels. NCL does not charge more or less than other places and ships, same with beer.

 

I have visited spas on many lines (not often) and they always try to sell you something, that is why I usually just don't bother anymore. I agree it is annoying, but it is what they do. We can always say no, I really do not want to buy anything. Usually that will end the conversation or certainly get them to calm down a little. As for too many kids, are you forgetting the Op had 3 kids. How can anyone with kids gripe about too many kids? If I were cruising as an adult without kids I am sure it would have driven me crazy as well, but

his remarks are like saying, "when I was in the bar having my 5th martini I was amazed at how many drunks were in there, someone should do something about that".

 

No one objects to reviews that are negative, especially when they are balanced and this one was to a degree, but his complaints were either minor or things we have to expect when cruising certain times of the year.

 

NIta

[Lilbecky]

To put this post back on track.

 

Danceman, thank you for the review. I enjoy seeing good and bad. As we are traveling on the Gem in 2 weeks, I will keep in mind what you said. (good and bad)

 

Thank you!

[ikelmay]

I always find it very useful to be able to read reviews both good and bad. I hope by now I can distinguish between the gripers and those with some valid complaints.

 

For me, it also helps to hear from a second opinion on board, either to the good or bad, but I do get tired of having to wade through the cheerleaders who insist on 'balancing' anything that might have a hint of a tone of negativity. You can bet it's then only a matter of time before the thread disappears downhill and dies.

[DocJohnB]

yes, as a veteran traveling for 40 years, throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas I guess I should travel more. Thank you for reminding me.

 

Nita

 

Being a world traveler is not the same as being an insightful world traveler . . and believe me, Nita, there is a huge difference.

 

No one objects to reviews that are negative, especially when they are balanced and this one was to a degree,

Surely, Nita, you jest. Of course people object to them and they do so frequently . . . on all the forums.

 

but his complaints were either minor or things we have to expect when cruising certain times of the year.

What his complaints were are items that concerned HIM on HIS cruise.

 

I appreciate reviews like the OP's much more than all the "sugar coated", "all was absolutely perfect", etc. reviews, or the absolutely "negative" ones where the reviewer wouldn't be satisfied if the the cruise line gave them triple their money back and guaranteed them the best suite free for the rest of their cruising days. Both are inane and just not worth commenting on.

[newmexicoNita]

Being a world traveler is not the same as being an insightful world traveler . . and believe me, Nita, there is a huge difference.

 

Surely, Nita, you jest. Of course people object to them and they do so frequently . . . on all the forums.

 

What his complaints were are items that concerned HIM on HIS cruise.

 

I appreciate reviews like the OP's much more than all the "sugar coated", "all was absolutely perfect", etc. reviews, or the absolutely "negative" ones where the reviewer wouldn't be satisfied if the the cruise line gave them triple their money back and guaranteed them the best suite free for the rest of their cruising days. Both are inane and just not worth commenting on.

It was opinion and you are correct, my point is still:1-if you travel during the summer and with kids of your own, how can you complain about too many kids on the ship? Many complaints get to me as they do seem petty.

 

As for balanced reviews, I differ with you on this one, I think most people accept balanced reviews whether they agree or not, even if 2 people on the same ship have different views. Let's face it, the way something is worded is what determine's peoples reaction to a review. Everyone knows I am an NCL loyalist and yet, I have never come back and claimed the cruise was perfect, nor have I even picked another cruise line apart. When I do post negatives, regardless of the line I usually preface it by saying, my experience, but certainly not everyones.

 

As for the world traveler comment, I beleive that was an insult and totally uncalled for on your part........!!!! end of comments,,,

 

Nita

[DocJohnB]

Nita,

 

As for the world traveler comment, I beleive that was an insult and totally uncalled for on your part........!!!! end of comments,,,

 

Let me get to the "insult" first. I truly never intended it that way and am sorry that you did so. In that you took it as such, I apologize. Unfortunately, the exchange between you and Ravjack has been deleted by the moderator, so whatever I say about context is pretty moot. The point I was trying to make that just because someone has cruised 40 times or so, traveled to dozens of ports, etc., does not, in and of itself, make one an insightful traveler. During my career in the Navy, I met many a sailor who would brag that they had visited 50, 60 plus ports during their career. However when one questioned them, the only thing they knew about any of those ports was the name of the closest bar to the "Fleet Landing". Never took the time to see what a port had to offer.

 

Again, I did not mean my comment as an insult to you. I am sorry that you were offended and took it as such.

 

my point is still:1-if you travel during the summer and with kids of your own, how can you complain about too many kids on the ship?

Agree. I would never travel during the peak "kiddie" season, take my kids, then complain that the ship was overrun with kids. Silly complaint at best.

 

As for balanced reviews, I differ with you on this one,

I am not sure how we differ on this point, with the possible exception that, IMO, a totally positive or a totally negative review cannot, by definition, be considered a balanced review. I much prefer one like the OP's where I can see both the pluses and minuses . . . . . ignore the chaff and make an informed opinion/decision of my own

[coka]

I like reading reviews from an individual's perspective, even if some things did not appeal to that particular person. A pool full of hairy Spaniard men who can not understand a word of English intrigues me. It would have been fun to try and teach them "The Nestea Plunge."

 

Hearing announcements in many different languages seems like a learning experience to understand different phrases like good morning. How does one say Bingo in different languages?

 

Sometimes I think we tell too much on the boards. I wonder if we never talked about the free sauna and spa being such an awesome relaxing alternative, there might not have been a cover charge added...

 

I am glad for the reminder how cruise ships can be during peak seasons and during holiday seasons. His review will help me plan for New Year's sailing. I do believe it is possible to sail with 700 children and hardly ever run into them...I have done it before!

 

I also liked the list review. Sometimes a list review is easier to read (ahem, ahem)!

 

Oh, I forgot...there are many cultures who do not practice a "line." I have been in some airports when it is time to board the plane...it is a free-for-all...somewhat funny though. Also, the buffets on the new ships are not supposed to have lines...you are supposed to go to whatever station you want...people tend to line up at the salad station not realizing you do not have to do this.

 

coka

 

coka

[tindiver]

We were on HAL last April 07 we went Easter week not thinking:(. The Noordam was supposed to have 2200 passengers well we had almost 2500 lots of children. Also a large group from Eastern Europe very rude. :mad:. But we made the best of it, we were told don't judge HAL from this cruise. It doesn't matter what ship you are on someone will always have problems, unless you are on the RCCL MOS.

Tom

[shoreless]

I haven't been on the Gem yet, but I've been on the Sun, Star, and Dawn, and this summer went on the Jewel. The one change I definitely did not like on the Jewel was that new giant screen in the middle. I'm sorry to hear it's also on the newer ships. On the Dawn we enjoyed eating in the Mexican restaurant and listening to a really good singing group up on the stage in the Atrium. That area on the Jewel wasn't nearly as nice.

 

On the other hand, I did like the outdoor section of the buffet (the Sun had that too), and the ethernet connection in the cabin.:)

[bluesea777]

I like reading reviews from an individual's perspective, even if some things did not appeal to that particular person. A pool full of hairy Spaniard men who can not understand a word of English intrigues me. It would have been fun to try and teach them "The Nestea Plunge."

 

Hearing announcements in many different languages seems like a learning experience to understand different phrases like good morning. How does one say Bingo in different languages?

 

Sometimes I think we tell too much on the boards. I wonder if we never talked about the free sauna and spa being such an awesome relaxing alternative, there might not have been a cover charge added...

 

I am glad for the reminder how cruise ships can be during peak seasons and during holiday seasons. His review will help me plan for New Year's sailing. I do believe it is possible to sail with 700 children and hardly ever run into them...I have done it before!

 

I also liked the list review. Sometimes a list review is easier to read (ahem, ahem)!

 

Oh, I forgot...there are many cultures who do not practice a "line." I have been in some airports when it is time to board the plane...it is a free-for-all...somewhat funny though. Also, the buffets on the new ships are not supposed to have lines...you are supposed to go to whatever station you want...people tend to line up at the salad station not realizing you do not have to do this.

 

coka

 

coka

 

Very refreshing and to the point, coka!! Love ya!

 

P.S. on Pearl we took your advice and had wine #660 that you recommended - Benzinger Merlot - and it was great that we had it again twice more times!

[newmexicoNita]

Nita,

 

 

 

Let me get to the "insult" first. I truly never intended it that way and am sorry that you did so. In that you took it as such, I apologize. Unfortunately, the exchange between you and Ravjack has been deleted by the moderator, so whatever I say about context is pretty moot. The point I was trying to make that just because someone has cruised 40 times or so, traveled to dozens of ports, etc., does not, in and of itself, make one an insightful traveler. During my career in the Navy, I met many a sailor who would brag that they had visited 50, 60 plus ports during their career. However when one questioned them, the only thing they knew about any of those ports was the name of the closest bar to the "Fleet Landing". Never took the time to see what a port had to offer.

 

Again, I did not mean my comment as an insult to you. I am sorry that you were offended and took it as such.

 

Agree. I would never travel during the peak "kiddie" season, take my kids, then complain that the ship was overrun with kids. Silly complaint at best.

 

I am not sure how we differ on this point, with the possible exception that, IMO, a totally positive or a totally negative review cannot, by definition, be considered a balanced review. I much prefer one like the OP's where I can see both the pluses and minuses . . . . . ignore the chaff and make an informed opinion/decision of my own

ok, lets be friends for now (until we differ again, lol) I too agree, the only exception to the truely positive review is those who are on their first cruise: remember that one? I know we were on a budget line, ship held less than a thousand passengers, cabins must not have been over 100sq feet, the crew did the entertainment and yet, I could never have found one fault with that cruise...To this day, I remember every detail.

 

I am glad the post was deleted. I really never answered her as I thought it not necessary. Again, personal attacks are out of bounds for me. I can question your opinion, I can disagree with you and I can even ask for a clarification such as "did you look for something to do?" or are you really telling me such and such, but I would never attack a person or I hope I never do.

 

We have been lucky enough to travel world wide (well certainly not as much as some on these boards) we do our best to see what the country is like, not just the tourist attractions, this applies to cruising or land vacations. Our daughter lived in Poland for 2 years, we certainly got to know the country to some degree, not just tourist places. We have visited friends in England and when cruising Mexico spent time with friends living in Mazantan. So our views of other countries is more than just a quick off and on a ship.

 

Now, we will get on with this and other threads. I do think the OP gave an objective review as he saw it, I still think he was off base.

 

Nita

[Ms belp]

I've been on a lot of cruises...and i mean a lot...over 100 and have worked as an entertainer for some years on crystal, seabourne and ncl...so hopefully I've got a balanced view of things by now. NCL doesn't pretend to be a 5* cruise line and it isn't. Myself, my wife and our 3 kids booked a cheap holiday in peak season...only about £500 each and got a flight for only £25.00! Overall, it was quite good value for money but with hindsight, i would have preferred to pay more and get a bit more class.

 

THE GOOD POINTS:

1. Very quick embarkation for latitudes members.

2. The quickest disembarkation I've ever had...straight off, no queues at all!

3. Ice cream was free.

4. The gym was open 24 hours...i went at 1.00am which was great for me.

5. Cabin was cleverly designed...it had a lot of extra storage space.

6. Cabin steward was excellent in every way.

7. Kids club was open all day from 9am to 10.30pm and then baby sitting till 1.30am....this is the best times I've seen from a kids club on any ship. 8. Pool musicians were very good quality...played some lovely music...also a spanish singer with a guitar...loved him.

9. Selection of food at buffet was generally good.

10. Sun loungers around the pool were very comfy and well padded although the ones on the upper decks were more basic.

11. I liked the double beds around the shady area by the pool...pity there wasn't space for more of them!

12. Furniture around the ship was imaginative and unusual.

13. The theatre was great...really well set out with great views all around...one of the very best.

14. The shows were generally good.

15. The overall cruise price was cheap.

16. The organized 'star gazing' seemed an interesting idea...had it not been cloudy!!...i like the idea though.

17. There were NO pool games!!!...no belly flop or sexy knees etc!

18. The open air buffet at the back of the ship was a nice touch...nice to sit out at night after the show and have a snack in the breeze!

19. The lift doors were quick and efficient to open and close...no messing about.

20. This is the first ship I've seen have reduced tipping rates for kids...half price....therefore it was the first time I've left the kids tips on our account as i usually have them taken off.

21. Nice view from Grand Pacific dining room over the sea and sunset.

22. Nice seating in theme rooms like Bliss and Spinnaker Lounge...double beds and 4 posters...i thought it was great fun.

23. Bowling alley seemed to work well and our kids liked it.

24. The cool air misting over the sunbeds was a nice idea.

 

THE BAD POINTS:

1. It was way too crowded around the pools...just not enough sun beds or space. We walked around all day on the first sea day and couldn't get a sun bed for love nor money! I hated this and it was a major point for the whole cruise. You had to be out at 9.00am on the sunbeds to stand any chance. Lots of arguments seen with disputes over who had this or that sun bed first.

2. The sun bed 30 minute rule was not enforced so people just left their clothes and towels on the beds all day. By the end of the cruise i had resulted to the same...put my stuff on the bed in the morning, went out on tour, came back mid afternoon and it was still there!

3. The two pools were way too crowded....i counted 40 people in the pool at one point...my idea of a cool, relaxing swim is not being shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of big hairy Spaniards jostling you for space....and the men weren't very respectful either!! I felt like i was in one of those communal football pools that the players bath in together after a match! 4. Not enough seating in the buffet....it was bedlem and close to a riot at times!

5. Over 600 kids on board!! Need i say more? I know, 3 of them were mine....but i hadn't wanted another 597 to add to the ambiance!

6. Multilanguage announcements! All the time and usually in 3 or 4 languages....it was the Costa ships all over again!

7. Constant revenue touting over the speakers....all day, every day!

8. No free Sauna ...you had to pay to go into the spa to use a sauna.

9. Salt water swimming pools....our kids don't like them as makes their eyes sore.

10. The ship needs another pool.

11. Needs either more deck space or less passengers.

12. Gaudy carpets...especially in cabins...3 shades of blue with orange and red shells and starfish on them. The designers must have had their work cut out to blend that with the wood paneling, yellow cabin door and cerise pink headboards!

13. The ship was 2/3 full of Spanish...nothing wrong with them except i don't feel the ship knows who its catering for...spanish, english, american, german, french and maltese who got on at Malta. It was hard to make friends with anyone as hardly anyone spoke the same language....and to be honest...the cultures are very different and i don't feel it works that well.

14. Dancing with the Stars competition...the ships own professionals turned out to be anyone the ships staff could cajole into it...we had the ships Nurse, tours office staff, shop assistants, fitness staff etc...some of which couldn't dance at all...i'd have thought the ships own dancers would have had more idea and would have been a more logical choice.

15. Sick of revenue touting....even selling bingo tickets in the theatre just before the curtain went up. There was a 'pool casino' so you could even gamble by the pool, yoga, pilates, abs , cycling classes...all chargeable. 16.If you booked a massage you got free use of the spa...but only for 30 mins...should have been for the whole day as all the treatments were expensive.

17. Dance production shows need more imagination & storyline as it was really just a load of singing and dancing with little or no connection to anything. The individual dancers, singers and lighting were all of a very good standard though.

18. The huge tv screen in the reception lounge was very glaring...no one could watch it with its glaring neon psychedelic colors, heat images and electro funk clips...how this added to the ambiance of the room i'll never know. And to top it, they put the classical quartet playing in front of it. It needs something more relaxing and beautiful to watch to match the music and purpose of the room. It was so bright, people were having epileptic fits looking at it!

 

To sum up, the ship has a lot of good ideas and good points that i liked. The food wasn't too bad but neither was it memorable. I preferred the ship to the Costa ships but it was also similar in many of the negative ways. If it hadn't been so crowded around the pools and buffet...i would be recommending it as very good value for money....but as it was, im more in the middle on it. I overheard two couples talking saying the ship was vulgar.....i did know what they meant when i looked at the sea of sprawling bodies around the pool, kids and burgers. And yet the ship does have some charm and innovative ideas that did impress me. Would i go again...yes for the right price but with an itinerary that attracted less of a cocktail of nationalities.

 

Goodness, it sounds like you miss the ship(s) where you were working. I assume you weren't the captain, otherwise no time to look at "sprawling bodies"?

 

Garish decor? Burgers? When I visited your dear country I was treated to treacle pudding, kidney and sheppard's pie, and warm beer yet. Still, I loved it.

 

I hope you are able to find less vulgar people on your 101'st cruise.

[danceman]

ok ok,...so quite a lot of you have now spotted i wrote about the good points too - im surprised ive had as many people agree with me....somehow thought id be the only one who thought it!

 

but, i still dont see why i cant moan about too many kids on the ship just because i took three of my own! (My kids were well behaved for a start and were never on their own.) But the main point is that there were too many on the ship to control....its irrelivent that i took mine....it doesnt mean i cant see its too crowded. I book a cruise to be able to have a sunbed, to be able to actually get in the jacuzzi, to be able to have space to swim in the pool, to be able to find a seat at the buffet (when 3 eight year olds are playing in the pool, they dont want to have to get fully dressed and go to the main restaurant for a 2 hour sit down meal just because its the only place we can sit together and eat) Surely it is my right to be able to go on a cruise in peak season and still expect some kind of space and relaxation at times? The brochures dont show 25 kids in a jacuzzi or mention the constant special offer anouncements in 4 or 5 languages!

 

My cruise on P&O Ship Orana the next week was also in peak season and was £799 for 7 days med cruise (still a fairly cheap price ) but there was plenty of space in and around the pools and i was never aware of kids...they were there of course (i dont know how many) but it was a completely different experience to the Gem so i cant really see how people can justify that it should be expected to be noisy, cramped and full of out of control kids just because it was cheap and peak season. I did like many aspects of the Gem better as all ships have good and bad points.

 

I did write my original review with humour ....newmexicoNita said: 'I don't think the OP meant anything in a humoreous say, we Americans do get humor' ....so where's yours? No one had an epileptic fit really and i joked about the hairy spaniard rubbing shoulders in the pool.......if you read my review on the superstar gemini on the 'other cruises' board....you'll see what a joker i am as i wrote about the raunchy communal massage i had!....go read it, it might lighten you up!

 

catharina has asked what ships and cruise lines do i like. ok...Crystal is my favourite....i worked on the Symphony as a guest entertainer for 8 weeks as a speciality dance act with my wife. Food was brilliant, shows were amazing (mine included of course!) and it was just class and sophistication. Expensive though...cant afford to go on it now as id have to pay...but i can dream.

Didnt like Seabourne Legend, ....classy but too small for me....old pax, lots of classical stuff, rough seas yuk!, cheapest cabin was $18,000 for the cruise we were working on. ..not enough going on for me.

I also like QM2, great food, spa is brilliant, shows are great, loads of space, class and some good prices on it.

I like P & O's Aurora and Oriana probably because they cater for the English well which obviously suits me.

I really love RCI radiance class ships....the Jewel, Brilliance, Radiance and Serenade OTSeas....beautiful, light and airy ships, easy to find your way around, good entertainment, fantastic indoor pool....the best of any ship!....its sort of like a Japanese water garden!

Dont make me do Carnival again...not even if its free!...that was the worst ive been on....it was one of their older ships though...dont know what the new ones are like.

Closely followed by Costa Romantica....food was awful and the ship was a dissapointment...apart from the cabin which was nice. Ive decided i cant do Costa again....have tried it 3 times now....and the last one settled it for me! ...crowds, kids, hooligans, pushy people, noisy cabin, bad organisation...the lot...never again!

Worst service....Pride of Hawii but everyone knows about that!

Best cabin ive had, ... the owners suite on Brilliance of the Seas....it had a huge flat screen tv attached to a post in the middle of the room...you could spin it around the the lounge aread or the bed...our kids kept spinning it around really fast...hope its still working!

and before you all get your knickers in a twist....these are JUST MY OPIONIONS!

 

And in case you were wondering....i orgainise and run dancing holidays on cruise ships these days which is why i get to go on a lot of cruises....although i do about 6 others a year as a holiday just for us as a family....seriously addicted!

[Ms belp]

That's because you weren't aware of kids, as most people can't afford to go on these and take their entire family. I sincerely believe you got what you paid for, and why should someone else's children be put off the ship so you and yours could enjoy?

 

Honestly! I've never heard a Brit speak like this.

[newmexicoNita]

danceman, you certainly know NCL and other mass marketed lines are not Crystal, etc and they cater to families during the summer months. You say your kids are well behaved, this may be true, I have no reason to doubt you, but how many parents think their kids are well behaved? Would you say, out of the 600 kids, 597 were hellions while yours were perfect or more realistically (and I have cruised during holidays) a handful were less than well behaved. YOu mention the lines you like, most of these do not cater to kids at all, in fact they discourage families from cruising. Hopefully next time you decide to cruise with the children you will find a more upscale line. NCL has so much to offer, but I certainly do not think it is right for you. Of course you have worked on the line you say, I would think you would have known that.

 

Nita

[DocJohnB]

k, lets be friends for now (until we differ again, lol)

Nita

 

I'm good with that. You do know, though, that I am going to tweak if I think something needs tweaking . . . . . . . and expect it in return.:D